Belt Clip Holder

ABSTRACT

An improved belt-clip holder for various objects is disclosed. The holder may be of unitary construction and includes a belt-clip for securely attaching the holder to a user&#39;s belt or other suitable item. The unitary construction reduces the cost and complexity of the holder. The holder has front, back and side panels to hold and protect an object, such as a dipping tobacco tin, or a group of objects, such as a group of credit cards. The holder also may have bottom panels in some embodiments. A retainer, having an integral retaining lip, secures the held object or objects in the holder. A cavity formed by the lower edges of the front, back, and side panels, allows a user to push a held object upward in order to remove the object from the holder. The retainer is configured so that a user my disengage the integral retaining lip using the same hand used to push the held object upward via the cavity. In this manner, the holder allows for the secure retention of an object within the holder, and also for easy, single-handed, removal of the object by a user when such removal is desired.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a holder for a dipping tobacco tin, or othersmall, cylindrical objects, and for small square or rectangular objects.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Belt-clip holders are well known in the art. Cell phones are commonlyheld by such holders. By including retaining structures, belt-clipdevices can securely hold an object. Unfortunately, belt-clip devicesare relatively complex, with numerous parts and pieces, making suchdesigns a poor choice for some applications. The complexity of suchdesigns adds cost and reduces the robustness of the holder. In addition,belt-clip devices with retaining structures often require considerableeffort to undo the retaining structure and remove the held device.

Belt-clip holders known in the art tend to rely on one of three meansfor retaining the held object. Some holders rely on the snug fit of theobject in the holder. An example of such a holder might be a cell phonebelt-clip holder using an elastic material for side panels, such thatwhen a cell phone is placed in the holder, the elastic panels create asnug fit around the phone. This means of securing the held object worksin some situations, but it does not provide much security. While thisconfiguration allows for easy removal of the held object, it also allowsfor theft or loss of the object in some situations.

Some belt-clip holders use a strap of some sort across the top of theheld object. An example might be a cell phone of wireless e-mail deviceholder made of leather or other similar material and having a smallleather strap with a snap or other closure system. When a device isplaced in such a holder, the user would then position the retainingstrap over the device and snap it closed. To remove the device the strapmust be unsnapped. This configuration provides for security, but itresults in additional parts and also requires effort and focus to securethe device and to remove the device. Moreover, if a user simply insertsthe device into this type of holder and forgets to secure the retainingstrap, the device may easily fall out of the holder.

A third common retaining means is a retaining clip or member attached tothe back of the holder. An example might be a cell phone holder that hasa back panel and only partial side and/or bottom panels shaped to fit aspecific phone. This type of holder is commonly used, and typically hasa retaining clip that fits into a mated slot or groove on the top, backside of the cell phone. These holders provide reasonable security,because of the fit between the clip and the mated slot or groove on thephone.

There are, however, a number of problems with this third configuration.First, the holder does not provide any protection for the front of theheld object. Cell phones carried in this type of holder can be scratchedor more seriously damaged by being hit from the front. Second, it can bequite difficult to remove a phone from this type of holder. In order tosecurely retain the phone in a holder with no front panel, these holderstend to provide a very tight fit. The retaining clip is often difficultto release, and can require two hands for removal, making it a difficultand potentially dangerous operation. Attempting to remove a cell phonefrom such a holder while driving can be quite dangerous. Third, theseholders must be mated to a specific object, typically a particular modelof a cell phone. They are useless as holders for any other objects.

Though belt-clip holders are commonly used for cell phones, this type ofholder is not widely used for another item commonly carried on theperson of its users. Dipping tobacco is a type of smokeless tobaccodesigned for use between a person's cheek and gums. It is a finelyground tobacco, with a texture somewhere between that of snuff (i.e., afinely ground tobacco for sniffing directly into the nose) and chewingtobacco. Dipping tobacco is typically packaged in small, cylindricaltins. A standard-sized dipping tobacco tin measures just less than oneinch in thickness and is about 2.5 inches across.

Users of dipping tobacco often carry a tin in order have the productavailable when an opportunity arises in which the product may be used.For this reason, many dipping tobacco users carry a tin of dippingtobacco in a back pocket of blue jeans or other pants, or in a pocket ofa jacket or shirt.

When a tin of dipping tobacco is carried in a user's back pocket, thetin can become damaged and can cause discomfort when sitting. Thispractice also can lead to marking of a user's clothing. For example, auser who carries a tin of dipping tobacco in a back pocket of jeans mayfind that the jeans pocket is worn down in a ring around the outercircumference of the tin. This wear can result in tearing of the fabricof the back pocket over time.

Carrying a tin of dipping tobacco in one's back pocket also poses a riskthat the tin will be forcibly moved around and may inadvertently openwhile in the user's pocket. When this happens, product is lost, and theuser's clothing may be stained by the dark-colored tobacco. If a userwith a tin of dipping tobacco in his or her back pocket perspires, themoisture of the perspiration may enter the tin, if its lid does not sealwell. The lids of these tins are thin, and may also be damaged if thetin strikes a sharp object. This type of damage could result in loss ofthe tobacco, as well.

Dipping tobacco users also face problems when they carry the tins inshirt or jacket pockets. If a tin is carried in a shirt pocket, the tinmay fall out if the person bends over to pick up something or to tie ashoe. Users of dipping tobacco may engage in rough, physical activitiessuch as horseback riding, rodeo, ATV riding, and other activities. A tinof dipping tobacco placed in a shirt pocket during such activities wouldlikely fall out at some point. Carrying a tin of dipping tobacco in ajacket pocket is only convenient when the user is wearing a jacket, and,even then, the tin may not be securely maintained.

An improved means of carrying a tin of dipping tobacco or other objectis needed. The object should be securely held while in the holder andshould be carried on the user's person or clothing so that the productis available when the user desires it. The holder should protect theobject from damage and should allow for easy removal by the user. Theholder should be robust and capable of withstanding the rigors of theenvironment in which the product would be used. It would be mostdesirable for the holder to be capable of securely holding an object,and allowing for removal of the object using a single hand. It would beadvantageous if the holder would securely hold the object as soon as itis inserted into the holder, without requiring any additional actions bythe user. It also would be beneficial for the holder to be inexpensiveand simple to manufacture.

Existing solutions do not meet these needs. As explained above, carryinga tin of dipping tobacco in the pocket of one's pants, shirt, or jacketposes a number of problems. Belt-clip holders are known for a variety ofobjects, including dipping tobacco tins, but the prior art holders failto meet all the needs identified above. The belt-clip holders of theprior art provide certain advantages, but none meet the combination ofneeds listed above. These needs, however, are met by the presentinvention.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shallbecome apparent from the following descriptions of the invention. Forexample, in one preferred embodiment, the holder of the presentinvention includes a belt clip having a resilient upper bend, aresilient lever body, and a retaining member; a back panel connected tothe belt clip; two arcuate side panels connected to the back panel; afront panel having an integral retainer and being connected to the twoarcuate side panels such that a cavity is formed by lower edges of theback panel, the two arcuate side panels, and the front panel; whereinthe integral retainer and the cavity are configured so that a user mayremove a held object from the holder using a single hand; and, whereinthe holder is of a unitary construction.

In another embodiment, the present invention has front, back, and sidepanels, but is square or rectangular in shape, rather than arcuate.Other characteristics are as set forth above, and as disclosed in moredetail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a back view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a back view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning to FIG. 1, a front view of the holder 10 of the presentinvention is shown. The front panel 12 of the holder 10 is shown inFIG. 1. Three characteristics of the holder 10 can be seen in thisillustration. First, the upper part of the holder 10 forms an integralretainer 14. The integral retainer 14 has an integral retaining lip 16,which is not visible in FIG. 1, but is described below. The top of thebelt-clip 30, which is described in detail below, is seen above theretainer 14.

The second characteristic of the front panel of the embodiment of theholder 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is the arcuate lower section of thefront panel 18. Two separate sections 18 are shown and are generallyarcuate to match the cylindrical shape of a standard dipping tobaccotin. This preferred embodiment is a holder designed for dipping tobaccotins. The third characteristic shown in FIG. 1 is the removal cavity 20,which is located at the bottom of the holder 10. The front panel 12 hasa curved lower edge 26, which forms one of four sides of the cavity 20.

In FIG. 2, the holder 10 is shown in side-view. In this view, theretainer 14 and its integral retaining lip 16 can be seen at the upperend of the front panel 12. The back panel 22, which has theapproximately the same outline as the front panel 12, is also shown inprofile in FIG. 2. One of two arcuate side panels 24 is shown,positioned between the lower parts of the front panel 12 and back panel22.

FIG. 2 also illustrates the integral belt-clip 30, which extends fromthe back panel 22. The belt-clip 30 has an upper bend 32, a lever panel34, and a belt-retaining member 36, all of which are illustrated in FIG.2. The belt-clip 30 shown in FIG. 2 is configured to slip over a belt orother thin, flat material, such as the front of a pocket. The holder 10may be configured so that the belt-clip 30 will slip over a thickermaterial, such as an automobile visor, by lengthening the top portion ofthe upper bend 32. This alteration would allow the lever panel 34 tomove farther away from the back panel 22, thus accommodating thickermaterials. Such changes are well-known in the art. The belt-clip 30 isnot limited to designs made to work only on belts or other thinmaterials. The term belt-clip is used more broadly to identify thisgeneral type of clip.

In use, the lower end of the lever panel 34 is pulled a small distanceaway from the back panel 22, thus creating an opening between thebelt-retaining member 36 and the back panel 22. The belt-clip 30 is thenmoved over a belt or other suitable object and the lever panel 34 willreturn to its normal position. This moves the belt-retaining member 36back to, or near to, the back panel 22, and the belt-retaining member 36thus secures the holder 10 to a user's belt or other suitable object.The holder 10 may be attached to a belt, the front of a pocket, to a sunvisor of an automobile, or any other generally-flat surface.

The arcuate side panels 24 form the sides of the holder 10, and may helpsecure a tin in the holder 10. In a preferred embodiment, the sidepanels 24 each form an arc of about 65-70°. The side panels 24 endbefore reaching the bottom of the holder 10, and leave a cavity 20,which spans an arcuate distance of about 60-70°. This aspect of thedesign is best seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. This configuration results ina total arcuate distance from the top of one arcuate side panel 24 tothe top of the opposite arcuate side panel 24 of about 190°. Becausethis arc extends beyond 180°, the distance between the upper edges ofthe arcuate side panels 24 is slightly less than the full width of theholder 10. This feature provides an advantage in certain applications.

When the holder 10 is designed for use as a dipping tobacco tin holder,it is advantageous, though not essential, to use the particularconfiguration described in the prior paragraph. The inner diameter ofthe holder 10 in such an application is sized to match the outerdiameter of a standard-sized dipping tobacco tin. Because in theconfiguration just described, the upper edges of the side panels 24 havea side-to-side distance that is less than the full width of the holder10 (i.e., less than an inside diameter of the holder). Thisconfiguration requires that a tin of dipping tobacco be forced into theholder 10. To insert a tin into a holder 10 of the configuration justdescribed, the tin must be slightly compressed, the side panels 24 ofthe holder 10 must flex, or some combination of the two must occur.

Once a dipping tobacco tin is inserted into the holder 10 describedabove, the arcuate side panels 24 will help hold the tin in the holder10. The side panels 24 wrap around the tin to a small extent, and thushelp hold the tin in the holder 10. Described differently, when a tin isplaced in a holder 10 of this configuration, slightly more than half ofthe tin will be positioned below the upper edges of the arcuate sidepanels 24. This configuration is advantageous because it provides a verysecure hold for a tin of dipping tobacco without required undue force toinsert or remove the tin from the holder 10. Because dipping tobaccotins may be used in particularly rugged environments, the additionalsecurity and protection afforded by this embodiment are desirable.

The holder 10 is preferably made of a resilient and moderately flexiblematerial, such as nylon. Such materials provide natural resilience, andthus allow the lever panel 34 to be moved away from the back panel 22,and also create a holding force as the lever panel 34 tries to return toits normal position. The resilient nature of the material is alsoimportant to the operation of the retainer 14. Finally, some flexibilityand resilience is necessary in the side panels 24 if the configurationdescribed above is utilized (i.e., if the side panels 24) extend aroundmore than 180° of a held cylindrical object.

The integral retaining lip 16 of the retainer 14 is shaped to allow foreasy insertion of a dipping tobacco tin into the holder. As shown inFIG. 2, the integral retaining lip 16 may be angled in such a mannerthan a dipping tobacco tin will easily slide over the lip 16, but willthen be securely held in the holder 10 by the retaining lip 16. Theresilient nature of the material used to make the holder 10 allows thatupper part of the front panel 12 to push away from the dipping tobaccotin during insertion with minimal force applied by the user.

In use, a tin of dipping tobacco is held in place in the holder 10 bythe front panel 12, the retainer 14, with integral retaining lip 16, theback panel 22, and the arcuate side panels 24. The side panels 24 mayextend up to or beyond the lower half of the tin. This arrangement,which was also described above as leaving a cavity spanning about60-70°, securely holds the tin and protects it from damage. Thisarrangement also allows a user to easily push upward, using at least onefinger, on a held tin via the cavity 20.

When a user wishes to remove the dipping tobacco tin from the holder 10,only a small force is needed to move the retainer 14, and its integralretaining lip 16, far enough from the dipping tobacco tin to allow forremoval of the tin. The front panel 12 is also shaped so that theretainer 14 is of a narrower width than the main body of the front panel12. This design facilitates movement of the retainer 14 relative to thebody of the holder 10, and allows for easy insertion and removal of thedipping tobacco tin.

The belt-clip 30 is similarly formed of a relatively narrow piece ofmaterial, thus allowing this component to similarly benefit from theresilient nature of the material used to construct the holder 10. In apreferred embodiment, the retainer 14 and the belt-clip 30 are ofapproximately the same width. If, however, a stronger gripping force isdesired by the belt-clip 30, that component may be made wider, whichwill increase the force needed to move the lever panel 34 of thebelt-clip 30.

The cavity 20 is formed by the lower edges of the front panel 12, theback panel 22, and the two arcuate side panels 24. The front panel 12and back panel 22 have arcuate shaped lower sections, but do not form afull arc around the bottom of the holder 10. Indeed, the front panel 12and back panel 22 have inwardly curved surfaces 26 at their lower edges.The arcuate side panels 24 end at each end of the inwardly curvedsurfaces 26 of the front panel 12 and back panel 22. This configurationcreates a cavity 20 at the bottom of the holder 10.

The cavity 20 is sized to allow a user to insert at least one fingerinto the bottom of the holder 10 to force the dipping tobacco tin out.The front panel 12 and its retainer 14 are sized and shaped so that auser may push the retainer 14 and integral retaining lip 16 away fromthe dipping tobacco tin using the thumb or palm of the hand, whilesimultaneously inserting at least one finger into the cavity 20 andpushing upward on the dipping tobacco tin.

This operation is easy to perform and requires only one hand. It allowsa user to quickly and easily remove a tin of dipping tobacco with asingle hand, but also securely retains the tin until such removal isdesired. The combination of these two results is highly desirable.Dipping tobacco is sometimes used by persons who engage in intense andrough activities like rodeo and ATV (all-terrain-vehicle) riding. It isvery important that a tin of dipping tobacco be held very securelyduring such activities. It is also important for a user to be able toaccess the dipping tobacco tin using a single hand, because the user mayneed to use his or her other hand to hold onto whatever he or she isriding on or in at the time. The design disclosed herein provides thesedesirable advantages.

In a most preferred embodiment, the entire holder is made of nylon. Theside panels 24 extend about 60° around the lower sides of the holder 10.The cavity 20 covers about 60°, forming an opening that is about 30 mmwide, which is just over one inch wide. A cavity of approximately oneinch width is of sufficient size to allow most users to push upward on aheld object using one finger, and possibly the tips of two fingers. Itis, therefore, desirable that the cavity be at least approximately oneinch wide. This sizing is based on use by males, as females tend to havenarrower fingers. If a holder according to this invention is madeespecially for women, the cavity width could be reduced. These and othersimilar modifications to accommodate different users are within thescope of the present invention.

The holder 10 in this preferred embodiment is about 70 mm wide, measuredfrom the outside top edge of one side panel 24 to the other side panel24. The front panel 12 is about 72 mm from top to bottom, while the backpanel 22 is slightly larger, or about 73 mm from top to bottom. Thisresults in the top of the belt-clip 30 extending a small distance abovethe top of the retainer 14 of the front panel 12. This can be seen inFIG. 1, where the top of the belt-clip 30 can be seen just above the topof the front panel 12. The retainer 14 and belt-clip 30 in thisembodiment are about 20 mm wide. The integral retaining lip 16 and thebelt-retaining member 36 are angled at about 20° relative to the frontpanel 12 and lever panel 34, respectively, and have lip surfaces thatare about 2 mm across. The belt-clip 30 extends for a length of about 63mm along the back panel 22, and ends just above the upper edge of thecavity 20, as shown in FIG. 3.

In this preferred embodiment, the front panel 12, back panel 22, andarcuate side panels 24 are about 2.5 mm in thickness. The belt-clip 30varies in thickness, with the upper bend 32 being about 4.5 mm thick,and the lever panel 34 being about 3 mm thick. This configurationprovides added strength in the upper bend 32 while allowing sufficientflexibility of the lever panel 34.

The holder 10 is preferably of unitary construction. By unitaryconstruction, it is meant that the entire holder 10, once constructed,is a single, unitary piece without additional parts or pieces beyond thebasic panels described herein. No hinges, screws, or pins are needed.The resiliency of the material used and the size and shape of the panelsallows for the necessary movement and retaining forces.

It is not, however, necessary, that the holder 10 be manufactured as asingle piece or of a single type of material. For example, the frontpanel 12 and back panel 22 may be formed as separate pieces from thearcuate side panels 24, and these pieces may then be secured to eachother to form the main body of the holder 10. This would result in aholder 10 of unitary construction, as described above, because theholder 10 would be a single, unitary piece once constructed. The piecesmay be secured using a thermal bonding process, adhesive, or othermeans. The belt-clip 30 also may be formed separately and then bonded tothe back panel 22. Alternatively, the entire holder 10 may be formed ina unitary process as a single piece.

Similarly, the parts of the holder 10 may be made of the different, butcompatible, materials. The front panel 12 and belt-clip 30 require useof a somewhat flexible and resilient material. Nylon is used in apreferred embodiment. The back panel 22 and the arcuate side panels 24,on the other hand, may not require use of a resilient or flexiblematerial. If such flexibility is not required, and if more structuralrigidity is desired, these panels may be constructed of a more rigidmaterial like polyethylene. It should be noted, however, that in onepreferred embodiment, the side panels 24 do benefit from being somewhatflexible. If the side panels 24 extend around more than 180° of a heldcylindrical object (e.g., a dipping tobacco tin), using flexiblematerial for the side panels 24 may provide some benefit, as describedabove. In other embodiments, such flexibility may not be advantageous,and a more rigid material might be used.

The holder 10, however, is still considered to be of unitaryconstruction if different materials are used for certain of the panels.This remains true so long as the panels and parts described herein aremade of compatible materials and lack additional parts like hinges,screws, pins, and the like. For example, if the front panel 12 andbelt-clip 30 are made of resilient nylon, and the back panel 22 andarcuate side panels 24 are made of polyethylene, the holder 10 wouldstill be of unitary construction.

The unitary nature of the resulting holder 10 provides anotheradvantage. By eliminating the need for additional parts, pieces, andmaterials, the cost and complexity of manufacturing the holder 10 isreduced. The holder also is more robust, with no small, mechanical partsto break or fail during use. The result is a reliable, but simple tomake, holder 10 that provides key benefits to users at an acceptablecost.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5, where front and back views, respectively, of a square orrectangular holder 10 are shown. The front panel 12 has the sameintegral retainer 14, and a cavity 20 is still formed at the bottom ofthe holder 10. Two sides of the cavity 20 are formed by the lower edges26 of the front and back panels, as with the embodiments describedabove.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, however, differs in the nature ofthe sides and bottom of the holder 10. The holder 10, being generallysquare in shape rather than round, the side panels 40 are straight,rather than arcuate in shape. Moreover, there are separate bottom panels42 in this embodiment. The cavity 20 is formed by the lower edges 26 ofthe front and back panels and by the inner edges of the bottom panels42. The lower ends of the front panel 12 and back panel 22 are generallysquared in shape, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively. The holder 10may be longer or shorter, wider or more narrow, as necessary for theparticular application.

Though FIG. 2 shows a rounded embodiment of the holder 10, the belt-clip30 shown in FIG. 5 is of the same construction as that shown in FIG. 2.Similarly, the retainer 14 and its integral retaining lip 16 are of thesame construction in the squared embodiment as in the rounded embodimentshown in FIG. 2. These features of the squared embodiment, therefore,can be fully understood by reference to FIG. 2.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be used to hold a variety ofsquare or rectangular objects. The specific size and shape of the holder10 will depend upon the application for which it is to be used. Forexample, this embodiment might be useful for holding a group of creditcards and possibly some cash. The cards and cash might be secured usinga money clip, rubber band, or other means. The means of holding thecards and cash together in this example are not in any way a part of thepresent invention. The cards and cash could be inserted into the holder,and secured by the retainer 14 and integral retaining lip 16. The cardsand cash could be removed using a single hand as described above inconnection with the dipping tobacco tin holder embodiment.

The square or rectangular shaped embodiment of the invention also mightbe used to hold cell phones, wireless e-mail devices, pagers, smallmusic players (e.g. mp3 players), small cameras, or other small objectsthat are generally square or rectangular in shape. The advantages of thepresent invention would be beneficial for all such uses, namely theprotection provided to the held object, the security provided withoutrequiring extra steps to retain the object, and the easy removal. Theholder in this embodiment also may be of unitary construction, asdescribed above, thus providing additional advantages.

While the preceding description is intended to provide an understandingof the present invention, it is to be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary,the present invention is intended to cover modifications and variationson the structure and methods described above and all other equivalentarrangements that are within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims.

1. A holder for a dipping tobacco tin or other small, cylindricalobject, comprising: a. a belt clip having a resilient upper bend, aresilient lever body, and a retaining member; b. a back panel connectedto the belt clip; c. two arcuate side panels connected to the backpanel; d. a front panel having an integral retainer and being connectedto the two arcuate side panels such that a cavity is formed by loweredges of the back panel, the two arcuate side panels, and the frontpanel; i. wherein the integral retainer and the cavity are configured sothat a user may remove a held object from the holder using a singlehand; and, ii. wherein the holder is of a unitary construction.
 2. Theholder of claim 1 wherein the integral retainer further comprises aretaining lip configured to allow easy insertion of an object into theholder and to securely hold the object once it has been fully insertedinto the holder.
 3. The holder of claim 1 wherein the cavity is at leastapproximately one inch in width, measured from lower edges of the twoside panels.
 4. The holder of claim 1 wherein the side panels eachextend around approximately 60° of the outer circumference of theholder, and the cavity extends around approximately 60° of thecircumference of the holder, such that the two side panels and thecavity, taken together, extend around approximately 180° of thecircumference of the holder.
 5. A holder for a dipping tobacco tin orother small, cylindrical object, comprising: a. a belt clip; b. a backpanel connected to the belt clip; c. two arcuate side panels connectedto the back panel; and, d. a front panel having an integral retainer andbeing connected to the two arcuate side panels such that a cavity isformed by lower edges of the back panel, the two arcuate side panels,and the front panel, and wherein the integral retainer and the cavityare configured so that a user may remove a held object from the holderusing a single hand.
 6. The holder of claim 5, wherein the holder is ofunitary construction.
 7. The holder of claim 5, wherein the back panel,front panel, and side panels are sized to accommodate a standard-sizeddipping tobacco tin.
 8. The holder of claim 7, wherein the side panelshave an arcuate length so that a side-to-side measurement from an upperedge of a first arcuate side panel to an upper edge of a second arcuateside panel is less than an inside diameter of the holder.
 9. The holderof claim 5, wherein the integral retainer further comprises a retaininglip configured to allow easy insertion of an object into the holder andto securely hold the object once it has been fully inserted into theholder.
 10. The holder of claim 5, wherein the cavity has a widthsufficient to allow an intended user to insert at least one finger intothe cavity.
 11. The holder of claim 5, wherein the front panel andbelt-clip are constructed of a resilient material.
 12. The holder ofclaim 5, wherein the belt clip further comprises a resilient upper bend,a resilient lever body, and a retaining member.
 13. A holder for adipping tobacco tin or other small, cylindrical object, comprising: a. abelt clip; b. a back panel connected to the belt clip; c. two arcuateside panels connected to the back panel; and d. a front panel having anintegral retainer and being connected to the two arcuate side panelssuch that a cavity is formed by lower edges of the back panel, the twoarcuate side panels, and the front panel, and wherein the holder is of aunitary construction.
 14. The holder of claim 13, wherein the integralretainer and the cavity are configured so that a user may remove a heldobject from the holder using a single hand.
 15. The holder of claim 13,wherein the cavity has a width sufficient to allow an intended user toinsert at least one finger into the cavity.
 16. The holder of claim 13,wherein the front panel and belt-clip are constructed of a resilientmaterial.
 17. The holder of claim 13, wherein the integral retainerfurther comprises a retaining lip configured to allow easy insertion ofan object into the holder and to securely hold the object once it hasbeen fully inserted into the holder.
 18. The holder of claim 13, whereinthe holder is constructed of nylon.
 19. A holder, comprising: a. a backpanel, having an integral belt clip; b. first and second side panels,each side panel connected to the back panel; c. first and second bottompanels connected to the first and second side panels, respectively, andthe bottom panels also connected to the back panel; and, d. a frontpanel having an integral retainer, the front panel being connected tothe two side panels and the two bottom panels such that a cavity isformed by lower edges of the back panel and front panel and inner edgesof the two bottom panels, and wherein the integral retainer and thecavity are configured so that a user may remove a held object from theholder using a single hand.
 20. The holder of claim 19, wherein theholder is of unitary construction.